Crowley Political Report

There may be a smack-down going on in the Florida GOP primary for U.S. Senate but there is a Republican lovefest going on in one congressional race.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio endorsed Adam Hasner for Congress. Hasner is running in the district that would have been Allen West's had the hard-charging West not bolted north to avoid a tough fight in a district that has a few more Democrats than West can handle.

Rubio joins former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in supporting Hasner who recently dropped out of the U.S. Senate race.  Perhaps Hasner's fear of Shiria Law taking over the nation will resonate better in a congressional race.

Now we give you the PRESS RELEASE:

Senator Marco Rubio said, "As my Majority Leader in the Florida House, Adam Hasner and I worked side-by-side taking on the status quo in Tallahassee and together we can do the same thing in Washington.  He is a passionate advocate for American values and will fight tirelessly for the needs of Floridians.  Adam's proven record of cutting red tape and wasteful spending is well known and his leadership on energy policy and critical national security issues will make him immediately effective in Congress. I am proud to endorse and stand with Adam every step of the way in his bid for the United States House. His conservative, common-sense approach is sure to help us restore our nation's prosperity."

Oh my. The "genteel" George LeMieux must be very worried about Connie Mack. How do we know? Well you don't launch this kind of video because you think you are the frontrunner.

LeMieux shows a nasty streak in this video where he portrays Mack as the weak branch of the Mack family tree. 

Florida's U.S. Senate race is quickly turning into a Republican primary brawl. Meanwhile, Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson sits on the sidelines counting his campaign cash.

Take a look at the video and judge for yourself.

After a speech in Dallas that was largely about education, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush answered a question about the Republican primary.

“I used to be a conservative, and I watch these debates and I’m wondering, I don’t think I’ve changed, but it’s a little troubling sometimes when people are appealing to people’s fears and emotion rather than trying to get them to look over the horizon for a broader perspective, and that’s kind of where we are,” said Bush, according to Fox News.

Perhaps, Bush could have helped set the tone for the race had he be more involved during the Florida primary.  Instead of being a force for calm and reason, Bush largely stood on the sidelines. He did not endorse a candidate. He did not condemn the charges and counter-charges that now make him wonder if he is conservative enough for his own party.

Bush may be working his worry beads now, but is anybody really listening to him?

Family concerns resulted in a bit of a hiatus for Crowley Political Report.  So it seems appropriate to re-enter the fray with the family.  Today, the New York Times has a great photo essay of President Obama's recent campaign trip to California and Washington.  The photos are by Crowley Political Report's favorite photographer - Stephen Crowley.

Stephen is a unique talent. Yes, I know, he is my brother and you would expect me to say that. But here is what James Estrin wrote about Stephen in 2010:

Stephen Crowley has spent most of his career masquerading as a newspaper photographer while producing idiosyncratic projects that push the boundaries of photojournalism and reveal unvarnished truths behind his most frequent subject: Washington politics.

Mr. Crowley, a staff photographer for The New York Times, consistently takes risks in his photography. He was employing complex compositions in newspaper photography long before the style became trendy.

In his political photographs, Mr. Crowley shows his Washington subjects warts and all. In personal projects like “Urban Archaeology” and “Crowleygraphs,” his black-and-white images are elegant and precise. Sometimes, he combines the political and personal in diptychs andtetraptychs, adding a sharp sense of irony.

“Washington is all artifice and show business — even more so today than when I started,” Mr. Crowley said. “There is a lot to be upset about these days, and there are a lot of people to hold accountable in media and politics. I think there is a thread of humor through my work, and humor is just a form of anger, if you think about it.”

Read more here.  And see his Obama photo essay here. 

Stephen has not just covered Washington politics. He has traveled the world for the Times, from tiny village to war zones. Everywhere he goes, he photographs tell a story that no one else does.

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By Brian E. Crowley

The last time I saw Bobby he was lying in bed looking frail and weak.

"How are you doing?" I asked

"Okay," he said, sounding more determined than he looked.

At 56, Robert "Bobby" Stamm, a former U.S. Marine, an everyday guy who liked everyday things, was not ready to die.

Bobby wanted nothing more than to live a little longer.

Bobby wanted to spend more time with his daughter, Breanne, who called him "PaPa" and watch her grow into the wonderful, young woman he was already seeing her become.

Bobby wanted to be there for his loving Mom….who had suffered the loss of her only daughter, his sister Mary Ellen, just a year ago.

Bobby wanted to play more games with his 11-year old stepson, Patrick. He loved to watch Patrick compete on his swim team.

And Bobby wanted more time to be with Eileen, the woman who touched his heart. Bobby wanted to keep singing with her, keep laughing with her, and keep holding her.

Eileen and Bobby met in 2005. He kept asking her out. She kept saying "no."  In fact, Eileen politely turned him away for nearly 18 months. It took a nudge from our sister Phyllis to get Eileen to budge.  "You ought to give him a shot,” Phyllis said.

On Eileen's 49th birthday, she "asked Bobby to have a birthday drink with me. We danced and we had our first kiss."

UPDATE - Politico blew it. Trump endorses Mitt Romney.

Politico's Maggie Haberman is reporting that Donald Trump will endorse Newt Gingrich during a 12:30 p.m. press conference Thursday.

What is a Trump endorsement worth?

Not much. This has more to do with Trump's childish demand for attention. Frankly, it is more surprising that Gingrich would care about getting support from Trump. 

Read the Politico story here.

Adam Hasner makes if official that he is dropping out of the Florida Republican primary for U.S. Senate and, as has been widely reported, will run for a congressional seat instead. Here's his statement to supporters:

As you know, I have spent the last year on the campaign trail for U.S. Senate, traveling our amazing, diverse and beautiful state.  It has been a journey Jillian and I will always treasure, and we have been blessed with the opportunity to meet and get to know so many great people, and to learn from them. I have been deeply honored by the support, friendship and endorsements of so many Floridians from every corner of the state.

The call to serve my community and my country continues, but the journey has taken us in a new direction.

Today, I am announcing my intention to run as the Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for the 22nd Congressional District of Florida.  My friend Congressman Allen West and I spoke last night, and he offered me his counsel, and I am honored to accept his endorsement in this race.  Allen West's service to our nation did not end when he left the US Army; it continues everyday he leads in the United States House.

I look forward to serving with him.

For 8 years, I served this community in the Florida House of Representatives.  I look forward to a spirited contest of ideas in the 22nd District, and to working every day to once again represent my friends and neighbors in Palm Beach and Broward Counties as a passionate advocate for jobs and economic growth, for a Congress that lives within its means and plays by the rules it sets for our citizens, for a balanced budget that protects and reforms entitlements and for a strong national defense that honors our commitments to our allies abroad, especially Israel.

I am a conservative and a proud Republican, but I will go to Washington to oppose Democrats and Republicans who put their own self interest above the interests of our country. I do not expect the work to be easy, or the hours to be short.  I won my first race by knocking on over 10,000 doors, taking my grassroots message to the most Democratic precincts in a blue county. I'm ready to do it again, and give the new 22nd District a new fighter in Washington who puts principle before politics.

 PS: This race isn't as big as the United States Senate contest, but I still need your support to hold this seat for the Republicans.  Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Barack Obama will do everything they can to keep a strong, principled conservative out of Congress.  In order to kick off my campaign with a strong start, I need your financial investment of $100, $50, or even $25.00

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